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NOTE: Autism is a syndrome comprised of a cluster of behaviors that must be present by the age of 3. Keep in mind, however, that children with autism will not remain static over time but will improve in many of these areas. They are still autistic. This illustrates the importance of doing good developmental histories. Educational classification may vary slightly by state; however, diagnostic criteria used by professionals outside of education rely on DSM or ICD systems. For purposes of this discussion we are referring to the totally blind child. Historically, many of the behaviors exhibited by blind children were labeled as "autistic-like" but were attributed to their blindness. We seek to clarify some of these misconceptions.

Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction

Behaviors involving vision are not applicable when considering blind children, however, it is possible that blind children may indicate social interest through shifting body posture

Shows social curiosity (e.g., ask who is in the room, why a particular person isn't there).

Indicate that they enjoy social interaction as noted when they smile in response to hearing a friend is coming over.

BLIND/AUTISTIC

Peer relationships are non-existent or distorted (e.g., child may pull someone's hair in order to see him cry - like cause/effect toy).

Show little social curiosity or interest and in extreme cases may find social interaction aversive.

a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest)

Blind/Non-Autistic

Will seek to share information and experiences (even children with moderate to severe MR).

BLIND/AUTISTIC

No real social interest, no interest in sharing. Exception is high functioning child. Can share, but only on his/her preferred topic, and when older.

* The criteria from the DSM-IV are provided to give professionals a consistent basis for determining diagnosis. However, these criteria alone are not sufficient for diagnosis. The practitioner uses a broad range of information and clinical experience to determine the presence of an autistic spectrum disorder. Likewise, autism checklists have limited usefulness and should not be the basis for diagnosing autistic spectrum disorder.

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